Frank Topping

Contact: Through his Literary agent, Anthea Moreton-Saner of Curtis Brown, Haymarket House, 28-29 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4SP Tel: 0170 396 6600

Played: Vicar (27 July 1981) who married Ken and Deirdre Barlow

Frank Topping is alive and well and continues  to work in his duel role as actor and priest.

In the Foreword to Frank Topping's autobiography, "Laughing In My Sleep", (Published by Hodder and Stoughton in 1993 and still in print) Brian Redhead asked, "Which Methodist minister, whom we hear regularly on the radio, has been an altar boy and an office boy, a factory worker and a hospital porter, a radar operator and a stage electrician, a television floor manager and an assistant film director, a radio producer and television presenter, a repertory actor and a song and dance man, a university chaplain and the author of many books? Answer: Frank Topping."

Frank is perhaps best known for his 'Pause For Thought' appearances on the BBC Radio2 Terry Wogan breakfast show. Apart from his role as the priest who married Ken and Deirdre Barlow (making Coronation Street history as the first screen vicar who had been ordained in real life). His TV work includes his own series, 'Topping on Sunday' and 'Sunday Best'.

He is also remembered for his partnership with Donald Swann in the West End production of their show "Swann With Topping". He has written 16 books and countless radio and television scripts. He is an award winning playwright whose spiritual journey began in a devoutly Roman Catholic family on Merseyside. Having wrestled his way through agnosticism and a broadcasting and theatre career to ordination as One of Mr. Wesleys Preachers, he was commissioned by the Methodist Church to be a worker priest to exercise his ministry in the media as an actor, broadcaster and writer. Frank and his wife June have also established their own theatre production company, with which from time to time, and with a variety of productions, they tour the UK.

His ability with dialects, languages and accents has involved him in a considerable amount of post-synchronisation film work (ie adding English dialogue to foreign films), 'Talking books' and Radio Drama. Most recently he has recorded 'Pilgrims Progress' as a talking book and played the 'Red Dwarf' (and a number of other voices) in a recording for the USA of CS Lewis's 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'.  He can be contacted through his Literary agent, Anthea Moreton-Saner of Curtis Brown, Haymarket House, 28-29 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4SP Tel: 0170 396 6600.

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